Bitter Sweet
by BubblyFizz03
Summary: Ginny's fifth year at Hogwarts is not going to be easy. The Death Eaters have escaped from Azkaban, shocking the Wizarding world. An unhealthy infatuation with the son of a Death Eater is not helping, especially with a lovestruck Harry hanging around!
1. Unpleasant Surprises

**Disclaimer: Everything you might recognise from the Harry Potter world is JK Rowling's creation. This disclaimer applies to every chapter of this story. The plot is mine.**

Chapter 1. Unpleasant Surprises

The rain stopped as quickly as it had started - a brief rescue for plants and animals alike, trying to survive in the dry heat of the summer. The sun was once again warming my wet hair, hanging limp on my shoulders. Oh, how I loved summer showers. The soothing sound of raindrops as they land on leaves. The glittering plants, as the sun returns, like a palace of diamonds around me. An occasional rainbow, perhaps.

How hard it is to believe that there can be so much beauty in a world full of hate and angst.

I did not have much time to contemplate this beauty, for my mum soon came running out to me, distinctive Weasley-hair blowing in the summer breeze of the afternoon. When she neared me I felt a growing sense of dread in the pit of my stomach.

"Ginny, get in the house now!" she said quickly, her voice lowered almost to a whisper. Something about the way she was looking around, eyes darting into the bushes surrounding our garden, gave me an awful feeling that this was not just about me sitting out in the rain again, or another lecture about "catching an awful cold" for getting my hair wet. My mother was so overprotective - but then, at a time like this… who could really blame her?

"What's going on?" I said, not knowing if I really wanted to know the answer.

"Ginny - I said IN" mother insisted, raising her voice a little, and I had no choice but to oblige.

As we stepped inside mother turned and locked the front door with a spell. I knew this was going to be serious. The Burrow was stuffy from the summer heat and smelled like butter and ginger - mum had been cooking again. She had been cooking a lot lately, and I suspected it had something to do with easing tension. Whilst most sane people liked to relax by reading or resting, my mother seemed to prefer cooking and cleaning as a way to take her mind off things. I hadn't really minded at first, but after spending a good few weeks with her trying to encourage everyone else to do the same, I was positively sure I was going to lose my mind if I stayed in the house any longer. Ron seemed to feel exactly the same about this, although he was better at getting away without being dragged into doing things. All he had to say was that he was going to go and do some studying, and mum would pick on me instead.

I recalled the day that Ron had received his OWL results a few weeks ago. Whatever they had been, they were not good. Mum had had a _fit_. Ron went pale every time someone mentioned anything about an OWL or exams or results, although he hadconfessed that he thought Harry probably had not done too well either, considering all he had been through last year. Hermione had obviously received excellent OWL results, and had been appalled when Ron had told her his grades. Fred and George were practically over the moon about Ron's performance, claiming that they knew he was never going to end up 'a Percy'. This hadn't made matters any better with mum, and Ron was now actually spending some quality time on reading - if only to get out of doing housework!

My dreamy gaze met my mothers and I was pulled a little too harshly back to reality.

I could hear voices in the kitchen, and suddenly longed to sit outside in my palace of diamonds again, feeling the soft raindrops on my face, and dreaming of a certain young man I found impossible to chase out of my mind.

Harry.

Was Harry OK? A sudden feeling of panic overtook me. It's like the feeling one gets when they lose something precious to them. Come to think of it, Harry _was_ precious to me - no matter how hard I had tried to deny it in the previous years. Of course I'd had boyfriends at Hogwarts, and some less obvious infatuations such as the dreaded _Draco Malfoy_, but it always seemed to come back to Harry.

Yes, as much as I didn't want to admit it, I _had_ found Draco Malfoy intriguing. Was that the right word?

Perhaps it was something about the way he always had something to say… or perhaps that he was so out of reach to me. Maybe it was I, longing to save someone just as Harry had saved me in the chamber of secrets. Malfoy was a lost soul after all, with his family so mixed up in the Dark Arts. But it all changed again, seeing Harry so vulnerable after Sirius' death… how I had thought about him in the last few weeks.

Mum turned to face me, placing a hand over my shoulder. Then, with a shudder she told me the news.

"Ginny… The Death Eaters have escaped. We have been advised to go into hiding by Dumbledore. Rumour has it they are making their way towards The Burrow." She blurted, then seeing the look on my face she continued. "It's OK Ginny; we'll be just fine…Moody and your father are in the kitchen. They've already sent Aurors to collect Hermione and her family. She is coming with us to Grimmauld Place. I think the boys have already gone"

"What about Harry?"

"Dumbledore is bringing him. Now go and pack some clothes, just enough for a few days… we'll pick up your school things later."

And with that, she hurried into the kitchen, leaving me no choice but to rush up the narrow stairs into my room. I packed as quickly as I could - the Death Eaters could be here any minute. Trembling with a mixture of anxiety and excitement I shoved some robes in a bag, leaped over to the small dressing table by the window and threw a hairbrush and some other essentials in the bag, grabbed my wand, and ran back down the stairs. Moody was waiting impatiently at the bottom of the staircase.

"C'mon." He said gruffly, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the kitchen fireplace.

"Hurry, dear… number 12 Grimmauld Place" Mum nudged me encouragingly and nodded towards the fireplace. I again obliged, excitement bubbling in my stomach. Stepping in our dirty fireplace I picked up some floo powder and dropped it to my feet.

" 12, Grimmauld Place!" I cried, and suddenly everything was a spinning blur of green and turquoise.

The one thing I hated about travelling this way was that unlike my brothers, I had not quite mastered the art of falling gracefully on my feet as of yet. So there I was, lying flat out on my back covered in dirt - as Fred offered me his hand, giggling. I could see Harry out of the corner of my eye and my heart skipped a beat.

What a nice way to impress a guy.

Mum followed a little later, and immediately started mollycoddling everyone, making sure they were ok. She told us Dad had gone with Moody to help with resisting the Death Eaters, and although she looked fine about it I noticed her voice break slightly. The atmosphere was bleak. I glanced around the living room taking in everything - the sadness in mum's face, the look of fear on Hermione's parents' face. Hermione herself on the verge of tears, Ron, Fred and George, all quietly staring at different points of the room obviously not knowing what to say, and finally Harry. I stared at him for a long time. He had grown over the summer, and filled out a little. No doubt this was due to the regular food parcels my mum insisted on sending him - how else was she to get rid of all that extra food she was cooking? He also looked more grown up - and was that stubble I could see on his chin?

But the most worrying thing was that he looked devastatingly unlike the Harry I remembered. He had changed after Sirius' death. He had bags under his eyes, and looked generally like he had been crying for the last five weeks. My heart ached for him, and I was so sorry for what he had been through that I could not help the tears. At that moment, he looked up and caught my eye.

Staring at me, he did not smile, nor did he look away. The look was more of compassion than anything - as though he felt sorry for me. It was a while before I could look elsewhere, and even as I walked away I could feel his eyes burning into my back.

That night I found it impossible to sleep. I could hear a faint snoring coming from next door - the boy's room. How they could bare to sleep at a time like this was beyond me. I turned over, trying to get more comfortable. A lone portrait of a solemn looking witch was the only company I had, and even she was asleep.

Hermione had decided to sleep in a room with her parents, as the thought of them being stuck in a magical house without any knowledge of magic was just too much for her. I had agreed and nodded curtly when she had suggested it to me, but now I was starting to regret my decision.

I started mulling over the day's events in my head. After mum had arrived and spoken to us all I had left to clean myself up…then we'd had dinner… then Dad, Moody and Lupin had arrived, giving us all a brief update on the situation: the Death Eaters had all fled when the Aurors had got there.

After this, the evening had been spent playing chess and chatting. I had noticed that Harry was very quiet though, which was understandable as the last place he probably wanted to be was at his dead Godfather's house. He just sat slightly apart from everyone, watching Fred and George's antics as I played chess with Ron.

The night had ended abruptly when George accidentally set Lupin's cloak on fire as he dropped something on it that to me looked remarkably like a Fire-juggler-cracker. The twin's newest invention was a juggling game that exploded if you dropped the balls. The game had been known to explode sometimes just for the fun of it, if it didn't want to be juggled for too long. Mad really.

Mum had gone off on one and sent the lot of us to bed so the "grown-ups" could talk. Sometimes I hated being a child. I had heard the adults make their way to bed about half an hour later, but I still could not get to sleep. It was probably near midnight by now.

I closed my eyes and tried desperately not to think of anything. Suddenly I needed the bathroom. Isn't it always so? Whenever you can't go, you feel an intense need to. Exasperated with myself I weighed my options. I could stay here like a coward, get no sleep and wet the bed like a baby - or go like a Gryffindor into the great unknown risking my chances with whatever dark creatures and danger the house contained.

Naturally, I chose the latter.

I made it down the creaky flight of stairs and into the bathroom. I did my business and was just about the start making my way back when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Letting out a muffled scream I dropped the candle I was holding, and it went out in a flicker.

"Merlin, Gin… You have _got_ to stop scaring yourself!" I said to myself quietly, bending down to pick the candle up. Now I had to make my way back up the creepy staircase with no light, ten times more scared than I was on the way down. I cursed myself quietly for leaving my safe bed. This was definitely not my idea of fun.

And I had left my wand upstairs, too.

I was almost at the stairs when I felt something. A cool breeze swept over me like something had moved to create a draft. Shivering with mixed feelings I turned. I was half expecting to see a ghost behind me. But I was unpleasantly surprised.

There was a boy standing with his arms held out to me. His green eyes were scarily bloodshot, and his jet-black hair looked almost grey. His face uncharacteristically pale, twisted into a pained expression, he mimed my name and staggered forward slightly.

Suddenly the boy's eyes closed, and he fell. I walked closer, not believing what I was seeing. The boy was lying on the floor. He had marks of a fight on him, and suddenly I just knew he was dead. I tried for a pulse and found none.

The boy was dead. A chilling sensation hit me.

The boy was Harry.

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is always helpful. Especially feedback with tips and constructive criticism! I love long reviews... :o)**

**I have about 5 chapters written so far for this story... so they will be up shortly. After that, you should expect chapters weekly. To give you an idea of the length... I think it'll be about 15 chapters and an epilogue. But you never know... might be longer. **


	2. Grasping Reality

Chapter 2. Grasping Reality

I must have sat there; sobbing over Harry's limp body for at least ten minutes before rational thought started to take over.

I didn't know what to do. What had happened? Who had killed him? Was it safe to scream, call everyone, and wake them up?

Whoever had done this could still be here. A big part of me wanted only to sit there with Harry and cradle him in my arms. I would have given anything and everything to swap places with him.

"Ginny?" A small voice made me look up in surprise. This could not be real. A boy with Jet-black hair and bright green eyes was staring right back at me with his wand lit. He stuttered as he spoke, swallowing a few times as he stared at my tearstained face.

"Ginny t-that's not me…" I could hear him say. I wanted to believe it… I wanted to believe with all my heart… but it couldn't be… Or could it?

It was real enough; the body I was cradling could not be Harry… because Harry was standing right in front of me.

I stared at him for a while. Was this all a dream?

Then I remembered something - Voldemort… the Death Eaters had escaped earlier in the day!

Suspicion overtook me. Someone must have killed Harry… perhaps the killer had used Polyjuice Potion to make himself look like Harry. Did he really expect to get away with it? Did he really think that we would not recognize the real Harry from a fake? Was Voldemort really that stupid?

My mind was working overtime, and I could barely hear the killer's voice as he spoke. It seemed distant, and somehow far away…then I realized - he was going to murder me too! I felt so helpless without my wand that I half expected to drop dead out of fear. Another few minutes and he would raise his wand… finish me off… I was going to join Harry.

Suddenly it did not seem such a bad thing, dying. At least I would be with Harry. Then, with a pang of guilt I thought of what I would leave behind. My family… I could never do it to them. I would not just lie down and give up. No, I was going to at least try.

I sobbed hysterically, scurrying to my feet. Adrenaline was pumping through my body. I was so angry and upset that I knew I was capable of accidental magic. Maybe if I could channel my anger into getting my wand, I thought desperately. So I concentrated on my wand as hard as I could, letting the rage I was feeling take over. And sure enough, it zoomed down from my room, landing neatly in my hand. The impostor seemed as stunned as I did, but he did not voice his opinion. He seemed weary that I now had a wand to defend myself with.

I knew I wasn't supposed to practice magic as an under age witch, but in a life or death situation I didn't think anyone would care. I raised my wand and glared at the impostor warningly.

"You. Killed him!" I screamed, hoping to scare him away in fear of waking the whole house.

"No, Gin… You've got it all wrong - " He stammered, but raised his wand in defense anyway.

"Murderer!" I didn't want to listen… I didn't want to hear what he had to say for himself. I knew the tears were streaming down my face and that made me mad because I looked weak, which made me an easy target. I tried to control myself but to no avail. I only managed to feel hopeless.

"No, Ginny! Look, it was a Bog - " He was now raising his voice.

"NO!" I was furious. How could he just stand there and lie even though it was obvious I knew who he was? He was not going to finish me off after all, was he? Well then, if he wasn't going to start it - I would!

"_Stupefy!_" I screamed, but I was too slow. Just a fraction before the spell was cast I felt my wand leave my hand as I was blown back by the force of the impostor's _'Expelliarmus'_. I hit the wall and ended up slumped on the floor. I tried to get up but the world was spinning and my head was soaring with pain. I could taste blood in my mouth.

"Ginny, sorry… are you alright? I didn't mean to...it was just reflex - it's me, Harry!"

"No, get away from me!" I screamed desperately. My heart was racing so fast I almost expected it to explode. Using the wall for support I got to my feet and turned toward the killer once more. Now I could hear footsteps from above. The boys were up, and by the sounds of it they were making their way down. Thank God!

This seemed to have distracted the killer too, and as he turned his attention toward the stairs I reached out and grabbed my wand.

"Ginny! NO! It's me! I don't want to hurt you - it's alright!" He had noticed my move and was closing in on me again with his own wand clutched in his hand. His eyes were startlingly bright in the semi-darkness, and he seemed to be gritting his teeth, obviously surprised at the fight I was putting up.

I was struggling to stay upright, but backed away anyhow, trying desperately to think of a spell.

"_Accio wand"_ The killer said, before I had the chance to hex him and once again I was unarmed. I felt weak. How could this be happening? I was the youngest daughter in a family full of boisterous boys, a feisty Gryffindor - I was supposed to be able to take care of my self! I tried to scream, to tell that fucking murderer that he had no business here, and that he was _not_ going to kill me.

But all that came out was a muffled sob. The embarrassment I felt was almost as intense as the immense hate I was radiating towards this intruder.

At that very moment another voice cut through the fighting, this time from behind me.

"_Riddiculus!_" A voice that I recognized as Lupin's cried.

The limp body that I had taken to be Harry disappeared and instead I saw a silver orb in it's place, then that disappeared too.

An unimaginable weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt as though I could breathe again. Harry was alive. He was not dead. Everyone was safe…It seemed almost too surreal to be true. The dead body of Harry had been a Boggart.

__

A BOGGART! My mind screamed. _Ginny Weasley, you idiot!_

After that everything seems like a blur. I can only half remember collapsing in tears of relief, and being engulfed in someone's arms. I recall being helped back into bed surrounded by worried voices, feeling relieved but in pain, all I could say was something along the lines of;

"Harry… he's fine… Harry… Harry… It's all fine… Safe…" and can remember someone stroking my hair as I lie there numbly, before finally falling asleep.

****

xxxx

"How is she?" My mum's worried voice brought me back to consciousness although I did not bother to open my eyes. I felt awfully groggy and my head was thumping. Slowly I started to remember the events of last night.

"She cried herself to sleep last night." Harry's voice sounded tired.

My mum let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a sob.

"Oh - it's this awful… this horrid house!" She cried suddenly, then seemed to sober up slightly. "Sorry, Harry dear… did you want to go and get some breakfast? You look like you haven't had a wink of sleep all night. Remus said it was best if you were the one to stay with her. Sometimes I don't understand that man." She sounded both angry and confused. I knew instantly that she had not been told what my Boggart had been.

"Okay" Harry said, and I felt the mattress on my bed rise a few inches as he got up. A moment later I heard him leave the room.

A part of me wanted to run after him and hold his hand all day and night so I could keep him safe from harm. But I knew that was not what he wanted, and even if it was I wasn't sure whether I'd manage to get up quickly enough. The persistent thumping in my head was a reminder of Harry's spell that had hit me - the reason why I had been so disorientated after the fight.

Come to think about it - we practiced magic underage! Why wasn't the ministry sending us owls and expelling us? Slowly I opened my eyes. The room was dark, as the curtains were drawn - for which I was grateful. I don't think my head would have handled bright light. Mum was putting covers on the bed next to me - the room had two beds, one of them meant for me, the other for Hermione. When Hermione had decided to sleep in her parent's room I hadn't bothered to make the other. So who was mum preparing the bed for? She wasn't going to sleep in with me was she? That would just be so embarrassing! I wouldn't hear the end of it… The twins would never let me live it down;

__

Little Ginny had a 'moment' last night so mummy's going to look after her incase she has any more nightmares…

I struggled to shake the annoying voice out of my head. At that moment mum turned and saw me staring at her. She rushed over and placed her hands on my shoulders as I sat up - as if I was an old lady falling apart. She really knew how to overact didn't she?

"Ginny, darling… Are you all right? Remus told me what happened - something about a Boggart?"

"Yes, It was Harry." I said in a quiet voice. I didn't want her to fuss.

"What do you mean Harry? You're not scared of Harry are you dear?" She let out a little nervous laugh.

"No. My Boggart was Harry - Dead."

Her face went ashen. She avoided my gaze and stuttered a little - "Y-you know, everything is going to be all right. Nothing will happen to anyone whilst we're here. It's safe, Ginny."

Something about her voice was not comforting. It was as though she was trying to convince herself as opposed to me. I smiled weakly as she smoothed my duvet. Then I remembered something.

"Mum, we did magic out of school…"

She looked at me and smiled.

" It's all right Ginny, Dumbledore placed a special field around this house. No-one can track our magic here - but it doesn't mean you can use magic whenever you want, though!" She added when she spotted my hopeful face.

"Who are you making the bed for?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.

__

Please don't let it be her, please not her…not her… A voice inside my head pleaded. I really did not want to be mollycoddled by my mother right now.

"Harry will be sleeping here - you don't mind do you? Only, he said he found it difficult to sleep what with Fred's snoring… and this house, Ginny… It's awful for him to have to come back here. Remus thought it would be a good idea if he stayed with you anyway…"

I smiled in approval. This was going to be _perfect! _Harry, sharing a room with me? I felt dizzy with the thought of it - or was it just the nasty bump I had received last night that was making me giddy?

I didn't really care. Either way, I was halfway to heaven. I only half heard my mother's ramblings as I got dressed and tied my hair into a loose ponytail. Pulling out a couple of strands at the front I gingerly walked downstairs, mum following behind me as if to make sure I got down all right.

As I stepped in to the kitchen, the scene was almost exactly how I imagined it. All heads turned toward me with expectant looks upon their faces. Some of them looked slightly worried.

"I'm fine." I said simply as Ron raised his eyebrows at me. They all carried on staring so I rolled my eyes and sat down next to Harry.

"Really, seriously - it's was nothing… just a Boggart. Pass the cereal."

As I began wolfing down the cereal the others relaxed. Apparently, a healthy appetite is the sign of a healthy person (as my mum so often explained). The kitchen once again filled with chatter, and I smiled.

Under the table, Harry placed his foot on mine and pressed. He did so again… and again… until the fifth time, when I looked at him with slight annoyance. And he grinned.

****

xxxx

That night we both laid in our own beds, Harry's wand illuminating the room. Harry was reading a Quidditch book whilst I was busy revising the healing properties of Hail Feather-potion. After a while, my eyes began to tire and I shut the book. That was quite enough revision for one day - soon I'd be pouring over books just like Hermione if I didn't watch it! And besides, Potions was one of my best subjects, despite my severe dislike for Professor Snape. The feeling seemed to be mutual. During my first year when I was overtly 'head over heels' with Harry, he had used every excuse he could to torment me.

I lost interest in the subject for a while, especially when I began losing sense of time and place, being manipulated by the memory of Voldemort. That year my grades really did not reflect my ability, so I studied hard over the summer and started my second year with more knowledge than anyone else in our year did. I became so good at Potions that Snape started having a difficult time picking on me. I would feel smug after his lessons, and I would actually - although I hated to admit it - look forward to his lessons.

Before long I was also excelling in Defence against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, who had actually admitted to me that I was well capable of NEWT standard spells. A few weeks later I overheard him talking to Professor Dumbledore on their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. I had felt slightly guilty about ear wigging their conversation, but since it was about me, I didn't think it was really that bad.

"…Yes…I see what you mean. She does seem to show great potential…" I had heard Dumbledore say as he glided down the last set of stairs to the Hall with Lupin by his side explaining fervently.

"It makes _perfect_ sense. Harry is connected to Voldemort, you know that. And he shows great skill in the subject, far beyond his peers. Ginny is much more skilled in Defence than she should be at her age. This could only mean one thing - Voldemort manipulated her, and a part of him must have…" He had trailed off as Dumbledore stopped abruptly, gesturing Lupin to stop.

"Perhaps, Professor Lupin, we should continue this somewhere more private, at some other time… away from prying ears?" He'd said, turning slightly so I caught a glimpse of the half-amused expression upon his face. For a second I thought he had seen me, hiding behind an old statue nearby, and I had gritted my teeth in expectation. Lupin had glanced around too, before the pair had continued their way to the Great Hall talking in light-hearted voices about the weather.

I had not dared to go to breakfast that morning, or lunch for that matter.

I sighed, thinking of Professor Lupin - he had been a much better teacher than Umbridge. Even the fake Moody had been better than that toad, I thought bitterly. I smoothed my duvet distractedly then looked over in Harry's direction to see whether he was still reading, but found him staring at me with a look upon his face that I could not quite decipher.

"Ginny…" His voice was soft but slightly hesitant. "I-I'm sorry for hurting you last night."

It was me who had tried to hex him - he'd just been defending himself! I couldn't help but smile. His messy hair stuck up uncontrollably just like it always had. The green duvet accentuated his eyes, although I couldn't help but think of Slytherin when I saw the shade of the covers.

"It's ok. It was my fault. I thought you'd been killed… and that whoever had done you in was impersonating you or something."

"It's ok, we're both sorry." Harry compromised as I yawned. The events of last night had obviously made me tired, and a whole day of pretending to be fine had also worn me out. I blinked a couple of times, my eyes feeling puffy.

My attention was drawn back to Harry's duvet… green like Slytherin. How strange that Harry was to sleep in them. After all, didn't Slytherin represent everything he fought against?

I was just about to ask Harry if he could ever be a friend with a Slytherin, when something surprised me. Harry extinguished his wand and the room darkened. A minute later I felt his weight on my mattress. I shifted up a little to make room for him but he didn't lie down. He just sat, but moved his hand to my head. Stroking my hair slowly, he spoke.

"Lie down like you did last night. I won't go to bed until you're asleep." He muttered as he carried on stroking my hair. I noted distractedly that his voice had deepened by about an octave since the last day of term. I followed his instruction, lying down with a tired sigh. He carried on stroking my hair as I closed my eyes. The pillow smelled of lavender - something mother had put on in to help me sleep.

"Umm...Thanks." I mumbled sleepily.

I had to admit that his touch was relaxing, and it made me feel sure that he was there and in no trouble. Something amazed me, though. I was surprised that now that I finally had him so close, he did not actually _do_ anything for me - in the sexual way. I mean, it felt great having him there, feeling his closeness and gentle touch, but it really did not set off the butterflies in my stomach.

I knew I loved Harry. But I was finally beginning to understand the type of love that I was feeling. It was more like brotherly or friendly love than the sort of love one feels for a boyfriend. Perhaps this was what the Boggart had sensed. Of course someone was going to be afraid of losing a close friend - whether that person be romantically attached to the other, or not.

With these thoughts milling around my head it took a while for me to find sleep. When I was finally drifting off I felt Harry place a soft kiss on my forehead.

Thank You for the lovely encouraging reviews - they made me smile! Any other tips, anyone? I know this story can be improved. Tell me how, and I shall do my best!

Also, please tell me if there are any frequent spelling or grammatical errors. I beta my own work… so I'm bound to miss some things! :o)

Thanks - Sara x


	3. On The Hogwarts Express

****

A/N: Sorry for the delay - I started my new job and it's taking me some time to get used to it. You know, it's quite tiring. Anyway… I finally got to write Malfoy in this chapter, yay! Tell me what you think! :o)

Chapter 3. On the Hogwarts Express

The first day of term was interesting to say the least. The beginning of the day went by quite normally, considering the circumstances. We were carefully escorted to platform 9 ¾, our trolleys rattling under the weight of our trunks. Over on Ron's trolley Pigwidgeon was hooting happily in his cage whilst Hedwig shot him angry glares.

We said goodbye to Moody, Mum and Dad then climbed on the Hogwarts Express through the scurrying of other students. Hermione lead the search for an empty compartment whilst the rest of us struggled to get through the masses. I held on to Harry's hand so as not to get lost in the crowd. The only thing I hated about the start of term was the journey to Hogwarts. It was just so tedious. At that moment I lost Harry's hand as another group of students pushed past.

The train was beginning to move. If I just stayed in the corridor it would soon clear up and I could find a place to sit. I suspected the trio wouldn't want me interfering anyway. No, I would find Luna, I decided triumphantly.

Come to think about it, I hadn't heard from her all summer. I had always thought her kind of strange before last year, but I had to admit that she had really come into her own at the Department Of Mysteries. Now I missed her like mad.

__

Where is Harry? An annoying little voice in my head kept asking me.

Why had he left me anyway? If it had been purely an accident he would have backtracked and found me right here. Yet almost 10 minutes had passed with no sign of the offender. I crossed my arms as I felt the train reach a faster speed. The corridor was now clear. I was just about to start making my way down it when I heard a familiar voice behind me, and despite all my efforts, I could not repress the shiver that the induced.

"Ah… look who it is…" He drawled - "Sweet, little Weasley…"

If he was trying to get a rise out of me I would not give him that pleasure. I ignored him as he stepped a little closer. His breath on my neck unnerved me and for a moment I wondered if he had heard of my little infatuation with him. He was sure acting like it. I tried to keep Harry's face clear in my mind as I bit my lip. Then I remembered that I did not like Harry like _that _anymore.

"…Oh, come on Ginny… Just because you associate with mudblood's…and lets face it your family is not exactly the _best _sort… doesn't mean _we_ can't be civil, now does it? I mean, I'm completely prepared to forget about your nasty Bat-bogies. Brush it all under the carpet, as they say…"

He was obviously expecting a slap. I would not yield to his wishes any more than he would to mine. I just turned coolly to find him rather closer to me than I'd hoped. This time he had no Crabbe and Goyle guarding him. He was alone. I shivered a little as I plunged my hand in my pocket to reach my wand.

"Go away, Malfoy." I said, my hand sweating a little as I clutched my wand, still hidden in my robes. I would not hesitate to use it on the swine if he got too close. But just what was too close for me?

"Be careful - " He touched his shiny prefect badge lightly, " - I might just dock some points for your mouth."

"You - "

"Careful…" He warned me again, his face twisting into an evil smile. "Anyway, as I was saying - "

"Leave her alone, Malfoy!"

__

Harry.

In an instant Malfoy's attention shifted from me to Harry, who was now standing a few feet behind me. I felt wary. This was bound to cause a fight and everyone would be in trouble again on our first day of school. I stepped back a little, reaching for Harry's arm. It was merely an attempt to keep him from hexing Malfoy to hell and back but Malfoy obviously took it the wrong way.

"Ah, Potter-The-Hero - to the rescue… " Malfoy muttered, his face now wiped clean of any emotion. Even the evil grin that had resided there a few minutes ago was gone. I thought he looked rather like I imagined a dead person would look. No expression and pale as a ghost… yet even so I could not help but to find him slightly attractive.

"Get lost Malfoy." Harry grabbed my wrist with his free arm and made to pull me away when Malfoy grabbed my shoulder.

"Now, Now… didn't that little talk we were just having have any effect on you?" He whispered loud enough for Harry to hear. It worked. Harry was hooked.

"What talk?" Harry cocked his head at me slightly as I rolled my eyes.

"About talking in a civilized manner." Malfoy answered earnestly. I was about to be sick. There was no way that Malfoy could be saying this. This was all just to get some sort of reaction from either Harry or myself.

"Come on Gin, let's go." Harry said at last, turning. He had finally cottoned on to what Malfoy was trying to do. He pulled me by my wrist and I made to turn but the Slytherin still had hold of my shoulder. Harry's grip tightened on my wrist as he noticed, and I winced. He was actually hurting me.

"Malfoy, I'm warning you…" He raised his wand maliciously. Malfoy glared first at Harry, then at me and for a fleeting moment thought I saw something other than sincere hate in his eyes. Then a sly smile appeared on his face and I was sure it had been just a figment of my imagination.

"So, tell me… does your brother know you are going out with Potter? I wouldn't imagine he'd be too pleased."

I was quite surprised. For a guy who seemingly tried to disguise his own feelings he was pretty good at reading other peoples thoughts. I had been thinking of what Ron would say if he found out Harry and I were having a 'thing'. Although, could you really call it that? We hadn't _done _anything - Harry had just repeated the little routine of stroking my hair until I fell asleep. It didn't mean we were really _together_, did it? And I didn't exactly feel like _that_ about Harry anyway, did I? Harry soon answered my questions.

"We're not together, Malfoy. I'm looking after a friend, isn't that what friends are supposed to do? Oh, wait… you wouldn't know would you!" He said, gripping my wrist even tighter. I could tell the Slytherin was annoying him, but I was now beginning to lose feeling in my fingertips. Why was he doing this?

I made to pull my wrist away from Harry but he didn't seem to notice. I was going to have to kick him soon or something.

"Harry…" I started

"Looks like you're hurting her, Potter." Malfoy said. At least someone had noticed. Harry did not loosen his grip, much to my surprise, but made to pull me away again.

"Harry… ouch that…" I tried again but to no avail.

__

Hello, earth calling Harry…

"Potter… let her go you're hurting her." For perhaps the third time in a space of five minutes Malfoy had surprised me. He was now raising his wand at Harry. His voice was cool as ever, but his eyes were a blaze. He was not trying to help me, was he?

__

No, he's just looking for an excuse for a fight.

Harry let go of my wrist abruptly, and the feeling began to return to it again. He made to plunge at Malfoy but I was in the way.

"Get out of the way Ginny, he's asking for it!" Harry pushed me away and I stumbled but stepped in the way again as I saw both boys pointing their wand at one another. I faced Harry.

"Harry, leave it. He's just looking for an excuse for a fight. He's a prefect, you know you'll get into trouble and he won't." I tried to reason, but Harry wouldn't budge. Realizing defeat I turned to Malfoy.

"Malfoy, you do remember what happened to you at the end of last year?" I asked, imitating his trademark smirk. "We wouldn't want that to happen again now, would we? If you don't go, I'll fight you with Harry!" I warned him.

I did know a few really good hexes, and there was less chance of Harry getting hurt when there were two of us against the Slytherin. Still, I shivered as I clenched my wand tightly. It seemed, though, that the memory of his defeat at the end of the previous school year did not phase Malfoy at all.

He smiled slyly, and walked a little closer to me with his wand raised, until the tip of it touched my chest. I would not give him the satisfaction of reacting in any way. He stared at me for a while, neither of us willing to give in, then his eyes narrowed, effectively masking his emotions.

"It would be very unwise… " He whispered, the tip of his wand still on me. Something about his whole being unnerved me to the point of wanting to run away. I stepped back a little, towards Harry and felt his hand on my arm, which reassured me immensely, as long as he wouldn't start squeezing it again. I pointed my wand at Malfoy defiantly.

"I would fight you anytime. It's your last chance." I said, punctuating my words as if I was talking to a five-year-old.

Then something happened that I did not expect. He actually smiled. Not a sly, smug or evil smile, but a real smile. He looked almost… happy.

__

Malfoy, happy?

"I'll remember that, Weasley." He said. The smile even reached his eyes, I was sure of it. He looked triumphant. He lowered his wand and turned on his heels, walking away.

Malfoy left behind a very angry Harry and an even more confused me.

XXXX

The rest of the journey was spent in almost utter silence - at least for Harry's part and mine. Ron and Hermione were so busy arguing about some prefect duties, that they didn't even notice our quietness.

As I watched Hermione pacing the small length of our compartment, red faced and waving her hands like a lunatic, I contemplated the meaning of Malfoy's behavior. Why had he acted so strange? It was as if he had _tried_ to be civil.

After the events of last year I didn't think Malfoy would ever even talk to any of us. But to me it seemed that he had actually been making an effort, in his own little way. Well, at least until Harry had showed up.

And what _was _it with Harry? I rubbed my wrist absentmindedly. He could really be quite violent sometimes. His '_Expelliarmus_' I could still handle, as I had attacked him first… but had he realized how hard he'd been gripping my wrist? Malfoy had noticed. He'd told Harry to leave me alone. Even a small gesture like that was quite surprising from someone like Malfoy, I thought, reflecting. Maybe he was really trying to change now that the secret of Voldemort and the Death Eaters was out. I shrugged the thought away as soon as it entered my brain - the blonde Slytherin hated mudbloods. Surely he would do anything to rid the world of them.

At a loss, I let out a small sigh.

Harry was acting strange, too. Maybe it was the loss of Sirius and going back to his horrible Aunt and Uncles, or perhaps it was that awful Grimmauld Place along with all the painful memories of his godfather … but he had definitely changed. He seemed slightly more thoughtful and quiet when he was with the group. With me he had never once spoken of Sirius, even though I had tried to bring it up occasionally. Mum had told me that talking was the best way to help with loss, and I thoroughly believed it true. Harry, however did not want to talk. He had even snapped at me once when I had tried to talk to him about the Department Of Mysteries.

Our little meeting with Malfoy had also proved his change. I mean, what had Malfoy _really_ done to provoke him at that particular time? He had only suggested that I was with Harry, which Harry had promptly denied. Harry wasn't ashamed of me was he?

I rubbed my wrist again; wondering how long it would be before Harry would apologize. It wasn't that serious, but I was sure the two red marks left by his death-grip would leave some healthy (or unhealthy) bruises. I scowled at him, willing him to notice I was not happy with him. Next to me he yawned and leant his head back closing his eyes. His arms were crossed but I noted that he still had hold of his wand in one hand.

__

Typical.

XXXX

After the sorting that night I retired early. I felt too tired for the noise and commotion of the common room, and it was getting too late to go to the library. So I decided to start unpacking.

It would seem strange sleeping in a room without Harry, after doing so for almost two weeks. But at least I wasn't completely alone, and at least Hogwarts felt more safe and welcoming than Grimmauld Place. I was just beginning to unpack my clothes and books, when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I chirped and a moment later one familiar bushy-haired girl poked her head round the door.

"Hey, Ginny! Are you ok? We've been wondering where you got to." Hermione sounded flushed. No doubt she'd just been arguing with Ron again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired." I lied. In fact, I was a little angry with Harry, as he had quite succeeded in ignoring me since the encounter with Malfoy on the train.

"Oh. Well… I've got some interesting news." Hermione lowered her voice excitedly.

" Malfoy has moved out of home and is having nothing to do with his parents anymore. Something to do with the Death Eaters and their escape. His father had apparently pushed him too far after he got out of Azkaban and Malfoy ran away. Dumbledore organized him a place to stay for the remainder of the holidays."

"How did you hear that?" I was in awe. Hermione was never one for gossip. She pointed at her badge and smiled.

"I heard him talking to one of the Slytherin prefects before we had our meeting this morning. I didn't want to tell you in front of Harry though."

I got it. She knew. Who had she heard it from? Yes, I had been infatuated with Malfoy last year, but that didn't mean I was going to jump into his arms as soon as he decided against the Death Eaters. It didn't change his personality, and it didn't change the fact that he was a Slytherin. And it didn't change the fact that he probably didn't even like me!

"Hermione…" I started.

"Look, Ginny, Harry just told me about what happened on the train. I just want you to know that even though he hurt you he was only trying to help you. By getting you away from Malfoy, Ginny, he was trying to protect you." Hermione was talking extremely fast and somehow I knew that she was soon going to get to it. The crunch.

"So, I just wanted to say that even though these things are happening with Malfoy… even though he may _seem _a little nicer…He's still the same old Malfoy. H-he knows that you like him, Ginny." She finished uncertainly, flushing even more furiously, as if it was the first time she had spoken in such detail about Malfoy.

I didn't understand. I had only told Lisa and Michelle - two of my closest friends. So how comes the news had now reached Hermione… and even Draco Malfoy? If the matter hadn't been so serious, the thought of the Slytherin hearing about it would have been quite comical. An image of a very smug Malfoy suddenly popped into my head, and I couldn't help the small smile forming on my lips.

That _would_ explain the way he'd behaved on the train. Suddenly I thought of something.

"Hermione… how do _you _know?" I frowned, wondering faintly if she owned a pair of 'extendable ears'.

"I… umm… I overheard someone telling someone else in the library. So, it's true then? You like Malfoy?"

"Liked." I corrected. There was _no_ way I was going to admit that I still found him intriguing. Hermione seemed to sigh of relief.

"But it still doesn't change the fact that Malfoy knows… If he keeps taunting you Ginny…" Hermione looked rather panicky.

"It's ok Hermione. It's not like I can't handle myself. I'm just worried about someone telling Harry and Ron." The thought of this made my insides squirm.

"Come on Gin, you know as well as I do that they would never believe Malfoy. And don't worry, I won't tell them." Hermione said reassuringly.

"I'm not worried about you…" I moped, suddenly feeling quite depressed. "I'm thinking about the rest of the school."

__

XXXX

Thank you for all the encouraging reviews that I have received o far! xxx

Sara


	4. Lessons and Life

****

A/N: So, this is the bit where I apologize profusely for the lack of updates, and make up some stupid excuse as to why I haven't posted any more chapters, seen as I've already written 5 of them. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I've been busy, and this story has (unfortunately for you guys) been the very last thing on my mind lately. It's only a bit of writing, after all.

But, you should all be happy to hear that my chapters are getting longer and longer. Are you proud? g

Oh, and the same disclaimer applies. I own nothing but the plot, and a few two-dimensional characters (Lisa, Michelle) that are only there to drive the plot. So, don't sue me!

Chapter 4. Lessons and Life

The first lesson of the week was double Charms with the Ravenclaws, which I was thoroughly looking forward to. Not only because I liked the lesson, but also because I was _dying_ to talk to my two best friends. I turned out to be quite lucky, as we were recapping the summoning charm. Of course I already knew it from when I had learned it in the D.A. the previous year, but it was great fun none the less. It was the ideal time to ask Lisa and Michelle about the rumors, as there was absolutely no chance that anyone could hear us with all the commotion going on.

"Well… we only told Nora." Lisa said when I asked them, referring to her sister in Hufflepuff. "We're sorry, but she swore not to tell anyone." She added as she caught the look on my face.

I had concentrate on something else to resist the urge to bash both my friends' heads together. "_Nora?_" I exclaimed incredulously. "You told Nora Briggs something that could potentially cause an inter-house slaughter if it's heard by the wrong ears? Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want the whole school to know?" I cried disbelievingly. I could not believe they had done this.

"Hey! She's my sister!"

"And Ron's my brother - but do I go telling him every little thing you two say and do? Oh, what's he going to say when he finds out…" I sat down on the cold floor with my head in my hands and sighed. Ron was going to _kill_ me.

Lisa looked incredibly flushed as she fingered her prefect badge nervously, her blonde hair in an immaculate up-do, as always. For a moment she looked like she was going to say something more to me, but decided against it. She pointed her wand at a pile of cushions and started summoning them towards her outstretched hands lazily. So, I challenged Michelle, the pretty brunette Ravenclaw instead with my death-glare. I knew 'Chelle wouldn't want to argue but I really didn't care. _Someone_ was going to have to face up to what had been done here. My friends had betrayed my trust and I was not about to let them shrug it off.

"Well?" I demanded, glowering at Michelle, who shrugged unabashedly.

"Nora promised she wouldn't tell anyone." She said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yea right. And pigs fly." I remarked. _Everyone_ knew what a blabbermouth Nora was.

"Well, actually, there have been sightings around Northern Ireland and some of Scotland of certain types of _cows_ flying… I dunno about pigs though." A dreamy voice behind me said. I recognized the voice immediately to be that of Luna Lovegood.

"Luna!" I greeted her cheerfully, although I felt slightly guilty that I hadn't paid much attention to her before now. I had been so intent on having a rant at my two friends that I had forgotten all about Luna.

"…Although some say that it's probably just drunken people seeing things…" She was still talking about the cows. Good old Luna - I had to smile as Lisa let out a snort.

"Well, never mind. What's done is done. Malfoy knows now, and it's only a matter of time before Ron and Harry will find out - and I can guarantee you fireworks. Until then… there's not much any of us can do." I said looking at Lisa, who did not look back. Michelle nodded in agreement and went back to practicing the Summoning Charm. I stared down at the two thumb-sized purple bruises on my wrist and found myself feeling even more angry about Harry.

This, I thought, was going to be one long year.

XXXX

"Is it true?" A very angry redhead cornered me on my way to Potions later that afternoon. A sense of foreboding overtook me as I nodded slowly. Ron's eyes bulged in surprise as he stared at me disbelievingly. "You like_ Malfoy_? What happened to Harry?"

"Harry is a friend of mine, nothing more. And I _used _to like Malfoy." I sighed, wondering how many different people I would have to make that little point clear to.

"Used to? So you don't anymore?" The color was slowly beginning to fade from Ron's cheeks.

"No."

"Oh. But he just said - " Ron stopped suddenly. He clamped his hand over his mouth and muttered something.

"What, Ron? What did Malfoy say?" I had a feeling I was not going to like this. If that little ferret had been going around saying things…

"He just said some things about - about when he saw you on the train… I thought he was just saying it to try and get to Harry but I had to check."

__

Oh dear. Malfoy is using this to taunt Harry.

"I… Umm…" It suddenly became clear to me that there was not really much I could say that would make the situation any better. My brother was angry with me for something that was now seemingly out of my control. Ron raised his eyebrows at me, probably waiting for a justification. The corridor was now practically empty and I knew I was going to be late for Snape's lesson if I didn't hurry up. It would only give him another reason to pick on me.

"I have to get to class. I've got Snape." I said quietly, not looking my brother in the eye. He nodded and let me pass (although I was convinced he wanted to say something more), and I hurried down the corridor as quickly as I could.

Two minutes later I arrived in the dungeons feeling flustered and irritated. The door to Snape's classroom was open and I could hear the droning of his voice through it as I walked closer. I poked my head around the corner and stepped into his classroom, having rarely felt so nervous in all my life.

"You're late, Miss Weasley." He snarled, and about twenty heads turned to face me.

"S-sorry, Professor."

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Now, take a seat and tell me how to make a Hail-feather Potion." He said calmly, ignoring the sighs of the Gryffindors in the room. I scurried to my seat beside Lisa whilst the class waited in almost total silence. Quietly, I began to recite what I had revised just a few nights ago at Grimmauld Place, shooting apologetic looks at the Gryffindors for losing them ten points. When I finished, Snape merely nodded curtly, before instructing us to set up our cauldrons and start making it. Obviously he had found nothing to criticize me for, and for that I felt slightly better.

"I will not put up the instructions for this potion - it is not difficult. If Miss Weasley can manage it, I am sure the rest of you will have no trouble." He sneered unpleasantly.

He was proved wrong, though. Marcus Adagios, a Slytherin prefect, had managed to blow up his cauldron causing an eruption of incomplete Hail-Feather Potion all around him. Louisa Ashley, a shy little Gryffindor, had forgotten to stir the potion before heating, and it had began to emit a foul smelling green gas that had made her and three other girls around her faint. Snape had disappeared into his study for a moment, returning with four small vials full of pink liquid, which he had poured unceremoniously into the girls' mouths. They had woken up and been sent straight to the hospital wing, after which Snape had removed thirty points from Gryffindor for 'stupidity'.

When he had come to check my potion he could find nothing to complain about, but poor Lisa had forgotten to add the root of Dandelion, a vital ingredient. Snape had removed a further five points for this.

Other than that, the lesson had been fine. Of course, The Gryffindors were used to Snape trying to dock points at every opportunity, but a grand total of forty-five points on the first day? And he had taken none from Adagios, even though he had blown up his potion. That was so typical of Snape, favoring his own house above all.

XXXX

Late that night, I awoke abruptly. I lay there for a while, trying to figure out the cause of my sudden awakening. Almost afraid to move, I listened intently. I could have sworn I had heard something. I couldn't remember having a nightmare, or any other dream to wake me up. So it must have been a noise of some sort. Listening carefully, all I could hear was the soft snoring of my roommates, and longed to be in their place. I did not feel the least bit tired, but I knew I would be grouchy in the morning if I didn't get enough sleep. And I didn't want to be tired when I met my new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, now did I? I rolled over to my side and hugged my blankets close to me, pinching my eyes shut tightly. I wanted to sleep.

But there it was again! My heart began to pick up its pace. I could hear tapping, but without moving the thick drapes around my four-poster, there was no way I was going to see what was causing it.

The tapping was so loud, I was surprised my room mates hadn't woken up too. I mean, I knew they were heavy sleepers from when I had sneaked around during my first year at the command of Tom Riddle, but this was just ridiculous!

I shuddered slightly as the disconnected memories of 'The Chamber' came flooding back to me. It wasn't as if it was something I could easily forget, and I still had nightmares about it occasionally (although, these had become much more infrequent in the last year or so). I still found it disconcerting that even the slight connection to my terrible first year made me feel all cold and clammy inside.

My curiosity finally got the better of me. Brushing aside my fears and reaching for the drapes, I pulled them to the side and slid my bare feet to the cold floor. Of course, I did have slippers, but it was too dark to find them. The tapping became even louder, and ever persistent it continued to draw my attention - so I left the slippers.

The Gryffindor dorm looked surprisingly eerie in the dark. Now its warm reds and welcoming air seemed to have disappeared in favor of dull tones of gray. Making my way towards the window (which was where the sound was coming from) I took careful care not to bump in to anything.

Then my breath caught in my throat. Something was there. I had seen a flicker of something in the window.

Creeping forward even slower now, it was all I could do to stop myself from screaming to wake the whole house up. I could nearly reach the half-drawn curtains…nearly there…just a few steps…

Quickly, as if afraid I would never do it if I had to endure it slowly, I grabbed the edge of the curtain and ripped it open. Then I stepped back in confusion.

"Hedwig?" I breathed. I was not sure whether to laugh at my own stupidity, or worry for Harry's safety. Why was the owl here in the middle of the night? Surely Harry wouldn't write to me this late?

The answer was right before me. As I opened the window carefully, so as not to push Hedwig off the ledge accidentally, I let the bird in. The magnificent owl ruffled her feathers slightly, then held out her leg importantly. The small piece of parchment was folded several times, and on the top most of folds it read '_Ginny_' in familiar writing. So Harry _was_ writing to me.

The note was simple, but the effect was not so.

__

Ginny, it read, _I miss you._

Well, I thought, at least it was straight-to-the-point. It was almost uncharacteristically straight-to-the-point for Harry, but then he had not exactly been acting like himself lately, had he? No, I thought. No he had not been acting normally at all. And judging by the nature of this note, I was probably partially to blame.

I sighed, and shivered slightly as the breeze from the window lifted my hair. A couple of years ago this little note would have earned itself a shrine so I could worship it day and night. Hell, even during the holidays I would have happily framed the letter and kissed it goodnight before having pleasant dreams about The-Boy-Who-I-Had-A-Stupid-And-Crazy-Obsession-For.

But now… now he could send me the letter ten times over, and it would not change my feelings for him. Yes, a Boggart had turned in to Harry's dead body, so I obviously cared for him. Naturally I worried about him - I was my mothers' daughter after all, wasn't I?

But his little pecks at night had proved to me something; I loved him, but purely as a friend, or another brother. There was just no 'chemistry' there. I was not even sure if there ever was.

Images of a certain handsome Slytherin were again flooding my mind. _He_ could make the blood curse faster through my body, even if he wasn't touching me. It had never been like that with Harry.

__

There must be some 'chemistry' there_…_

These thoughts were entering my consciousness even more often than before. Since the incident on the train where Draco Malfoy had actually tried to _help_ me (something I had thought him completely incapable of), I had actually seen him in a slightly different light. I shrugged the thoughts away, shivering a little more, then closed the window.

It was not until I was in bed when I realized that Hedwig was still in the room. Reluctantly, I de-tangled myself from the duvet, and reached for the owl.

"Hedwig. You silly bird. You can't stay here." I whispered as I unlatched the window again. Hedwig hooted softly; then actually pecked me. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey! That hurt!" I said truthfully. Hedwig hooted again and repeated the offence.

"Ouch!" I jumped back so she couldn't reach me again. The bird merely held out her leg and let out another, slightly louder, hoot. Suddenly it dawned on me. She was waiting for a reply!

"You little bugger…" I muttered as I hastily scribbled _'Harry, we need to talk about this another time. Right now your bird is pecking me silly and I'm tired. Goodnight. G.'_

I rolled up the parchment, not even bothering to worry about neatness. It was too late and too dark to be fussing over minor details; right now I just wanted sleep. Once the parchment was steadily in Hedwig's grip, she straightened her magnificent wings and fluttered into the night. I watched her go with awe, wishing that some day perhaps I could be just like a bird, flying high with not a care in the world.

__

Of course, we have brooms… A voice inside my head added cynically. Had that voice not been mine, I would have slapped its owner for popping my bubble.

Closing the window for the second time, I jumped back into bed. Not two minutes later, the familiar tapping-sound was back. I would kill Harry in the morning! This was getting ridiculous!

As soon as I had freed the owl of her burden, she hooted softly and disappeared into the night. I turned my attention to the note and frowned slightly.

__

So it's true then, about Malfoy. Sorry I bothered you, and sorry about Hedwig. She's pretty persistent sometimes.

Harry.

P.s. I miss you because I think I love you.

Needless to say, sleep didn't come to me for a long, long while. After what seemed like an eternity of worrying about Harry's shocking confession, my eyes began to feel heavy again. Wisps of pink and shades of orange began to filter through the drapes, and I finally fell asleep.

XXXX

"…still. But maybe she's not well. She's _always_ up and ready - "

I blinked a few times. It seemed like had only just shut my eyes. Man, I was tired.

" - before us. Maybe we should just leave her to sleep. We're going to be late anyway."

__

…Leave her to sleep…late anyway…

"Shit!" I screeched suddenly and jumped out of the warm bed with lightning speed. "We're late?"

Late! I was going to be late for my first Defense lesson of the year! With a new teacher!

"Yeah. Are you ok?" Lisa turned from the door and gave me a worried look. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the other two roommates disappear down the stairs.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be! Why didn't you wake me up?" I was only half-aware that my voice had risen by about an octave as I hurriedly grabbed a skirt and slipped into it. _Shitshitshitshitshit…_

"What do you mean 'why didn't you wake me up?' _you _always wake _us _up! None of us set our alarms because we thought you'd be up at the bloody break of dawn again!"

"Yeah, well… My inner alarm-clock seems to have gone on vacation." I said sarcastically, pulling on a school jumper and reaching for my robes. "So I take it we've missed breakfast then?"

Lisa nodded. "And we've got about two minutes to get to lesson. You need to do something with your hair."

"No time." I said simply, then grabbed her arm and practically dragged her down the stairs, through the common room, and out into the near empty corridor. Only a few stray students were now hurrying along to get to their classes. We were so obviously late. I caught Lisa's eye then, and we both took off at a run.

Moments later, out of breath and red of face, we arrived in the DADA corridor. Giving Lisa a reassuring nod, I opened the heavy wooden door to the spacious room. Once again, every eye in the class turned to meet us. My eyes traveled beyond them, however, right down to the front of the class.

I could feel my jaw drop in surprise as realization hit me. Standing in front of the class was a familiar figure, cloaked in light blue and peering behind his trademark half-moon spectacles.

"Dumbledore…" I breathed in awe. Was he to be our new teacher? I glanced over at Lisa, who was trying to stutter an apology. I could practically feel the heat radiating from her face - hell, I could probably toast marshmallows on it if I tried.

"Miss Weasley, Miss Briggs. Please sit." Dumbledore said with a smile and a wave of his hand. We did as we were told, amazed by the fact that he hadn't taken points or yelled at us.

"I was just telling the class that I am going to be your Defense against the Dark Arts teacher this year. I am sure you are all wondering why?" He raised his eyebrows and received a few nods from around the room.

"I will be teaching fifth, sixth, and seventh years from now on. Professor Moroley - the teacher you met at the feast - will be teaching the lower years." After this he paused for a long while, as if wondering what to say next. Some of the Slytherins snickered slightly, but if Dumbledore heard them, he made no indication that he did. He cleared his voice again and continued.

"I trust you all know about the recent Death Eater escapes. I am also sure that you understand what this means - the Dementors have left Azkaban."

To this, nobody made a sound. Everyone remembered the horrible creatures from our second year. Dumbledore was no longer smiling when he sat behind the large wooden desk at the front of the class.

"Consequently, I have decided to start working on the Patronus charm straight away. By the end of this term, I expect all of you to be able to produce a fully formed Patronus. After this, I shall teach you useful defense-spells. Ladies and Gentlemen - the threat of Voldemort is very real. It is upon us whether we should wish it or not." He said with a hint of sadness in his raspy voice, frowning at the strangled gasps around the class as he said the name of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"There is one thing I will not tolerate in my classroom any longer. To fear a name… that is a terrible thing. It only increases fear itself. In this class, we will fear no names. Now, for homework I would like you all to research about a boy named Tom Riddle." He said with a glance in my direction. I nodded slightly, letting him know that I was all right about the task. After all, I was being asked to research something that had nearly killed me.

"You will all have access to the restricted section for this task. I would advise you to hurry with it, though. The sixth and seventh years have also been given the same task. It may be wise to complete the research before the library is crowded with people all looking for the same book." Dumbledore smiled, then clapped his hands.

"Now, on with the Patronus."

Thus commenced our very first lesson with the headmaster. I managed to produce a slight silvery sheen from my wand, and so did two of the Slytherins. The rest of the class still hadn't managed anything, but Dumbledore smiled at them encouragingly, and reassured them of their progress. It was, after all, very advanced magic. I wouldn't be surprised if the two Slytherins who had produced something had actually received training from their Death Eater-fathers over the holidays. As for me, well, Lupin had always said I was a gifted witch, and I was now proving it proudly.

"Wow, what a lesson. Dumbledore is such a great teacher!" Lisa talked excitedly on our way to the next lesson.

"Yeah." I agreed distractedly. I had just noticed a certain blonde Slytherin walking not far from us. He was without his goons again. Suddenly something within me clicked. I had to go and talk to him, though I had no idea what I wanted to say. I turned to Lisa quickly, trying to look as casual as possible. "Look, Lis…could you gimme a minute? Or go ahead and I'll meet you in class."

"I thought you didn't like him anymore." Lisa quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow and nodded towards Draco.

I only rolled my eyes as she let out a little girly giggle. "You do, don't you! Okay, see you in class. Don't be too late."

"It's only professor Binns. I doubt he'd even notice if I were missing all lesson. Not," I added seeing the horrified expression on my friends face, "that I would spend that long with Malfoy!"

"Yeah yeah, I believe you." She winked. "You should have done something with your hair. But then again, it will only get mussed up anyway."

"Shut up." I laughed, trying to smooth down my locks quickly, as I made my way towards Draco. Gathering all the Gryffindor courage I had been blessed with, I sprinted to his side. He smirked as I fell into step next to him.

__

Say something intelligent! My mind was screaming.

"Hi." I said shyly. _Oh God, Oh God. Think of something else to say!_

"Hello, Weasley." He nodded with an amused look upon his face. "Trying to be civil?"

"Actually, I don't even know why I'm here, talking to you." I admitted truthfully. Draco's response, however, left my mouth hanging wide open.

"You're here with me because I did a beckoning charm on you."

"You _what?_" I screeched in surprise. Draco smirked imperiously then turned into a smaller corridor leading to the arithmancy classrooms. The corridor was practically empty now, but I followed him anyway. Professor Binns would never notice if I came in late, I reminded myself. Besides, I had to find out why Draco had beckoned me.

"Why?" I managed to croak, not even bothering to disguise my amazement.

"Well, I wanted to try it out on someone."

"So you just - just did t-that to me? Why?" I stuttered. My astonishment was beyond words.

"Yes. Like I said," He said, stopping and turning to face me "I just wanted to try it out."

He smirked again and at that minute I only wanted to melt. Those gray eyes…the blonde hair…He was - to coin the phrase - 'eyecandy' in it's greatest form. I watched as his eyes swept over me, taking in my messy hair and wrinkled clothes. I blushed a little under his scrutiny, but could not bring myself to say anything.

"You look rough." He finally said. To my endless surprise, I did not hear a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Could I tell him why I'd been up all night?

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep last night. Got a couple of…umm… letters in the night."

__

Did I just tell him that?

"Potter?"

"Yes."

"Are you two - "

"No."

Draco seemed to relax a little at that. I chewed my lip thoughtfully, wondering how completely unnatural it was to find a Weasley and a Malfoy alone in a corridor talking about…well…relationships. Once again, Draco was the first to break the silence.

"You're going to be late for lesson." He said, startling me out of my thoughts a little. He seemed to notice, and again his face took on an amused expression.

"I've got Binns." I replied, then immediately wished I hadn't. Did I have to make it so obvious that I liked him?

"Oh. Poor you. Goblin rebellions? He won't even notice you're gone, though."

"What you got?" I asked curiously, trying to shift the conversation onto him again.

"Arithmancy. Vector's gonna kill me. How's your wrist?" He must have seen the bruises, because he was now frowning a little, looking down at my hand.

"It's fine. Thanks." I said quickly, flinging my hand behind my back as if it would stop him from seeing the damage. _Talking_ to a Malfoy was one thing - but I didn't think I could handle him being _worried_ about me as well!

"Liar." He stepped closer and reached for my hand. Before I could protest, he was holding my wrist lightly in his long fingers, examining the ugly purple bruises. I could feel myself blushing, but could not do anything to stop the heat rising to my cheeks. When did Malfoy get to be so gentle?

"Potter's got a nasty grip on him. Is that why he was writing to you? Apologizing?"

I didn't reply. He locked eyes with me and all I wanted right then was for him to kiss me. Gods, what was I _thinking?_ My knees were weak and my head felt giddy as I tried to pull my hand away. Something stopped me from doing so, though. Malfoy had pulled out his wand and was pointing it at my wrist. I stiffened, and he looked me in the eye again. "I'm just gonna heal them."

Then he muttered a few words and tapped the wrist gently. When I looked down again, the marks were gone.

"T-they don't teach healing charms until seventh year!" I whispered in amazement. Draco let go of my hand and it dropped to my side.

"Well, I got into quite a few scrapes as a kid, my father being who he is…My mother taught me so I could heal myself if she wasn't there." He looked a little distant when he spoke, and I shivered at the thought of Mr. Malfoy. He was, after all, mostly to blame for my little 'misadventure' in my first year. I wondered what it was like to live with the man.

"Well, Thank you." I said quietly.

"Your welcome. I have to get to class. Already ten minutes late. I'll see you around Weasley… and keep away from Potter. He should take anger management."

"He's had a tough time." I tried to justify Harry's behavior, but Draco only shrugged and then headed down the corridor.

I watched him until he turned into a classroom, before slowly turning and making my way to the lesson I was now ten minutes late for. Being late was becoming a bad habit for me, I smiled to my self.

XXXX

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I hope you liked it. In the next chapter, we get some more Draco/Ginny interaction… and lots of other cool stuff too. When I get round to posting it. LoL.

Review me happy! Tell me what you think! I like long reviews!

Oh, and a big thank you to all of those who have already reviewed. They've all been very encouraging! Thanks, you're my heroes! XxX

Sara x


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